Foldable chair



June 19, 1934- M.| rlNsLEY FOLDABLE CHAIR Filed Nov. 5, 41932 2Sheets-Sheet l bw v n N *wat .RN

@Sw vub ATTORNEYS yJune 19, 1934. M. L. TlNsLEY 1,963,509

FOLDABLE CHAIR Filed Nov. 5. 1932 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR BY WATTORNEYS aofi ' ofthe lbracing and locking mechanism of thev i frontlegs.

Patented June 19, 1934 PATENT oFFlcE FoLDABLE CHAIR.

Milton L. Tinsley, Grantwood, N. J., assg'nor'to Ferguson BrothersManufacturing Company, Hoboken, N. J.,a corporation of New JerseyApplication November 5, 1932,'seria1No. 641,356'

5 Claims.

- This invention relates to improvements in foldable chairs, and has foran object to provide a chair which can be readily and compactly foldedand which can be quickly and easily unfolded l.' for use. y

`Another object-of the invention is to provide a foldable chair which,when in unfolded position, will present all the characteristics andappearance of a conventional non-foldable chair, and which will be rigidand solid when in use.

Another object is to provide a foldable chair of simple and-practicalconstruction which will be automatically locked when brought to itsunfolded` position.

A- further object isto provide means for releasing the'lockingmechanism, which means is actuated simultaneouslywth the upward movementof the seat.

A still further object is to provide certain improvements in the form,construction and arrangement of the parts whereby the above named andother objects 'may effectively be.attained.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a front elevation ofmy improved chair in its unfolded position, as inuse;

` Fig'. 2 representsv a detail side elevation of th seat and adjacentparts;

3 represents a vertical section taken .in the plane of the line III- IIIof Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. vf3* representsaA detail vertical section, on an enlarged scale,

. Fig. 4 .represents a bottom planv view of the' chair, on the samescale as shown in Figs. 1 to 31 inclusiv L f Fig.-5 represents a frontelevationof the .chair .in its foldedposition;

.. Fig.v 6. represents a side elevation of the` same;

and. Fig. 7 represents a vertical sectiontaken the plane of the lineVII--VII of Fig. 5, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

The back v1 of the Afoldable chair is secured between the upper ends ofvertically disposed side members 2, 3 which extend downwardly andviorrnA the rear legs 4, 5, respectively. A substantially rectangularseat 6 is provided with side frames 78 and a. front frame" 9. Angleplates 10, 1'1 are flxedto-theinner walls of the side frames 7, 8 byscrews. 12er other sixnl'ar'means.l The'fsho'rt arm 13 of the plate l10is arrangedt'o extend be yond the .frame 'land upwardly therefrom so asto be hingedly connected with apin 14 secured. to project inwardly fromthe member 2. The plate 11 also has a similar short arm 15 which hingeson a pin 16 on the side member 3. By the arrangement of the angle plates10, 11 with re- 00 spect to the side frames 7, 8 and members 2, 3, theseat 6 may be swung upwardly adjacent with the members 2, 3 to a foldedposition and, when in unfolded position, the rear ends of the sideframes will `rest solidly against the front face 06. ofthe members.23.VThe front legs `17, 18 are also hingedly connected to the front portionof the side frames 7, 8 by means of plates 19, 20, respectively, ofwhichone end of the plate 19 is secured to the upper end 70? of the leg17 by screws or other suitable means, and the other end fulcrumed on apinV 21 fixed to project inwardly from the inner wall of the side frame7 and spaced from the front frame 9 of the seat. The plate 20 has oneend secured 'I5Y to the upper end of the leg 18 by screws or othersuitable means, while the other end. is connected with a pin 22 carriedby and projecting inwardly from the inner .wall of the side frame 8. Thehinged connections of the front legs 17, 18 are 80' disposedinpositionto allow a portion of the front and side frames of thefseat to rest uponthe` top of the legs when in use, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.This arrangementof the hingedconnections of the front legs and seatlikewise adds 85 to the general characteristics and appearance of anon-foldable chair.l

A transverse bar 23 connects the legs 17, .18, the ends of which bar arepivoted in the legsat 24, 25. A similar transverse bar 26 is disposedbetweenr 90T the rear legs` 4, 5 with the ends of the bar pivoted at 27,28. The transverse bars'23, 26 arev conneoted by'braces 29, 30 so as tom'ovesimultaneously.-

Inorder to lock-the front legs 17,18' and the 95 seat 6 in theirunfolded position, I provide a, detent 31, the outer ends 32, 33 ofwhich are flattened and pivoted at 34, 35 to the' legs 17, 18, -re'spectively. vThis datent 31 has a straight central portion 36 which isarranged to rswing into andv 1 out of an arcuate notch 37 and move in1 alongitudinal slot 37* connected with ythe mouth of the notch. Thenotch37 and slot 37* arel formed in a guideblock 38 fixed to tlieunderside of the seat 6. To facilitate the movement of the. 105 straightportion 36l of the detent in the notchf 37, thev walls oi'` the notch'are curved concentrically with the pivotsA 34, 35 `of thek detent whenthe legs 17, 18 are in their unfolded position. To removethe portion` 36.of the; datent from; the 1110 notch 37, I provide a lever 39 having afinger piece 40 at its front end and its rear end pivoted at 41 to theguide block 38. This lever 39 is arranged to extend forwardly toward thefront of the seat 6 so as to be within easy reach of the operator forthe manipulation of the detent. In order tol prevent the unintentionaldisplacement of the Astraight portion 36 ofthe detent in the notch 37, Iprovide a flat spring 42 having one end 43 fixed to the bottom of theseat 6 and arranged to extend into the longitudinal slot 37 with itsfree end 44 disposed to normally close the mouth of the no-tch 37. Astop and guide 45 is fixed between the guide block 38 and the bottom ofthe seat 6 to limit the movement of the lever 39 in one direction andlocate its position ready to actuate the straight portion 36 of Ythedetent when desired. v

When it is desired to fold-the chair for storage or transportation, thenger piece 40 and lever 39 under the seat are manipulated to engage andlift the straight portion 36 of the detent 31 out of the notch 37 anddepress the spring 42 against the seat 6, so that the portion 36 mayslide rearwardly in the slot 37* in the guide block 38 and the front ofthe seat swung upwardly on its hinged connections 14, 16 between themembers2, 3, in which movement the front legs 17, 18 are swung on thepins 21, 22 in the side frames of the seat, while the detent is rockedon its pivots 34, 35 on the legs 17, 18. The straight portion 36 of thedetent after passing the spring 42 is free to slide rearwardly in thelongitudinal slot 37* in the guide block 38. In the upward U" movementof the seat, the front legs are maintained in a substantially verticalposition by the braces 29, 30 fixed to the transverse bars 23, 26 andthe pivotal connections of the bars in the front and rear legs so that,when the i chair is in the folded position, the seat will rest againstthe back and the front legs intimately contact with the bottom of theseat. Thus the chair, when folded, has the front legs, seat, back legsand members extending substantially T parallel to one another in veryclose arrangement and occupying a relatively small space. When it isdesired `to bring the chair to its unfolded position, as in use, theseat is swung outwardly on itspivots 14, 16, in which movement the frontlegs swing outwardly and down.-` wardly while the detent 31 oscillateson its pivots 34, 35 on the front legs 17, 18 causing the straightportion 36 of the detent to ride forwardly in the longitudinal slot 37*until it engages the spring 42, which will be depressed until thestraight portion registers with and enters the curved notch 37 whereuponthe front legs will be locked against movement.` In this position therear ends of the side frames of theA seat will abut the front face. ofthe members 2, 3, and a portionof the front and side frames will restupon the top of the front legs 17, 13. It willthus be seen that thechair whenin operative position will present all the characteristics andappearance of the conventional nonfoldable chair. n L' Itjwill beunderstood'that various changes may be resorted to inthe form,construction and arrangement of the several parts without de- 1 partingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention; and hence, 4I do not intendto belimited to the details herein 4shown and described except as theymay be included inthe claims.

What I claim is:

...1. Ina fold'able chair, a combinedback and rear leg frame, a seathaving side frames pivotally connected to said rear leg frame, frontlegs hinged to said side frames of the seat, an element fixed to dependfrom the under side of said seat and having a longitudinal slot adjacentthe seat terminating at its forward end in a notch, a detent comprisingsides having its ends pivoted on said front legs and convergingrearwardly to a straight central portion disposed in position to slidein said slot by the movement of the legs and engage said notch in theelement for bracing and locking the seat and front legs against movementwhen the chair is in its unfolded position, a spring device disposedwith its free end overhanging said notch for urging said straightcentral portion of the detent into the notch, and means pivoted on theelement for actuating the straight central portion of the detent againstthe tension of said spring device to release it from its engagement withthe notch in the element and the seat and front legs from their lockedposition.

2. In'a foldable chair, a combined back and rear leg frame, a seathaving side frames pivotally connected to said rear leg frame, frontlegs hinged to said side frames of the seat,adetentcomprising sideshaving its ends pivoted on said front legs and converging rearwardly toa straight central portion, and in element xed to depend from the underside of said seat and having a longitudinal slot adjacent the seatterminating at its forward end in a notch, the walls of said notch beingparallel and curved concentrically with the pivots of the detent whenthe legs are, in their unfolded position, whereby said straight centralportion of the detent may be disposed in position to slide in said slotby the movement of the `front legs and arranged to swing on its pivotson the front legs into the notch and engage one of the curved walls ofthe notch for bracing and locking the seat and front legs againstmovement when the chair is in its unfolded position and maintained insaid notch by,

ing a longitudinal slot adjacent the seat terminating at its forward endin a notch, the walls of said notch being parallel and curvedconcentrically with the pivots of the detent whenthe legs are in theirunfolded position, whereby said straight central portion of theidetentmay .be disposed in position to slide in said slot vley the movement ofthe front legs and arranged to swing on its pivots on the front legsinto the notch and engage one of the curved walls of the notch forbracing and locking the seat and front legs against movement when thechair'is in its unfolded .position and maintained in said notch bygravity, and means pivoted on the element and adapted to engagesaidstraight central portionof the detent to release itfromfitsengagement v4with the notch in the element and the seat and front legsfrom their .locked posi-.-l

tion. Y Y.

4. In a foldable chair, a combined backv and rear leg frame, a seathaving side frames pivotally connected to said rear legframe, front'legshinged to said side frames of the seat, a detent, comprising sideshaving its ,ends pivoted on ,said

front legs and converging rearwardly to a straight central portion, anelement fixed to depend from the under side of said seat and having alongitudinal slot adjacent the seat terminating at its forward end in anotch, the walls of said notch being parallel and curved concentricallywith the pivots of the detent when the legs are in their unfoldedposition, whereby said straight central portion of the detent may bedisposed in position to slide in said slot by the movement of the frontlegs and arranged to swing on its pivots on the front legs into thenotch and engage one of the curved walls of the notch for bracing andlocking the seat and front legs against movement when the chair is inits unfolded position and maintained in said notch by gravity, and aspring device disposed in the longitudinal slot with its free endoverhanging the entrance to said notch for urging the straight centralportion of the detent past the entrance of the notch.

5. In a foldable chair, a combined back and rear leg frame, a seathaving side frames pivotally connected to said rear leg frame, frontlegs hinged to said side frames of the seat, a detent comprising sideshaving its ends pivoted on said front legs and converging rearwardly toa straight central portion, an element xed to depend from the under sideof said seat and having a longitudinal slot adjacent the seatterminating at its forward end in a notch, the walls of said notch beingparallel and curved concentrically with the pivots of the detent whenthe legs are in their unfolded position, whereby said straight centralportion of the detent may be disposed in position to slide in said slotby the movement of the front legs and arranged to swing on its pivots onthe front legs into the notch and engage one of the curved walls of thenotch for bracing and locking the seat and front legs against movementwhen the chair is in its unfolded position and maintained in said notchby gravity, means pivoted on the element and adapted to engage saidstraight central portion of the detent to release it from its engagementwith the notch in the element and the seat and front legs from theirlocked position, and a spring device disposed in the longitudinal slotwith its free end overhanging the entrance to said notch for urging thestraight central portion of the detent bast the entrance of the notch.

MILTON L. TINSLEY.

